"[W]e wonder: if such attacks and harassment have reached even the monks who left all behind them praying for the peace of the world in the deserts and the mountains, then how are the lives of the civilians living in the metropolis?!"

It is so sad to see how our Coptic brothers and sisters have gone from glory to being treated as less than worthy of basic human rights in their own country. And by people who only so many generations back were their own brothers in faith. In God's own time he will reward the righteous and punish their oppressors.

Logged

On the spiritual path somewhere between the Simpsons and St. Theophan the Recluse, but I still can't see the Springfield city limits sign yet.

As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

Peace be upon our Fathers and Dier Abu Fana, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-one God, Amen. May the Prayer of our Lady, the Holy Virgin Mary-the Ark of the Lord and the prayers of His holy saints be with them (Amen).

I was able by the will of God to visit Egypt in August (2007) for four days and it only encouraged my feeble mind and soul to pray more. The Spirit that consumed the hearts of martyrs in the past is still there and Satan hates this. The Altar of the Lord remains in the midst of Egypt [Ki-ree-ely-sone]...HaileAmanuel

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'He who is greatest among you, will be your servant [St. Matthew 23:11].'

I'll preface the following Al-Jazeera article (which is unfortunately the only detailed english article on the issue available online as of yet--the prejudices in the reporting are obvious) with the introduction of Robert Spencer from Dhimmi Watch:

The Al Jazeera article below has more detail and recent developments in the incident, but neglects to note, as an Agence France-Presse story does, that the monks had a permit to build the wall. Still, residents insisted it was illegal (perhaps in the spirit of the Pact of Umar, permits notwithstanding), and violence ensued.

....

Now for the article:

Quote

Egypt Copts protest against attacks

The Abu Fana monastery was damaged during clashes between Muslims and Copts over a land dispute [AFP]

Calm has returned to Deir Abu Fana, a village 210km south of Egypt's capital, Cairo, after the release of three monks abducted amid tensions between Muslims and Coptic Christians.

Violence erupted on Saturday when local Muslims claimed the expansion of a Coptic monastery was being carried out illegally on state property.

In Mallawi, a nearby town, on Sunday Coptic Christian protesters chanted: "With our blood and soul, we will defend the cross."

They appealed to Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to intervene because "Coptic hearts are on fire".

Father Bulous, a priest at the Mallawi church who managed to visit the three freed monks in hospital on Sunday, said: "They said they were tortured, tied up and beaten and humiliated.

"One monk was hit with the back of a rifle and had his leg broken."

Deir Abu Fana, in the province of Minya, has a high proportion of Coptic Christians and contains several monasteries particularly sacred to the community.

A similar incident took place in Minya in October, resulting in 20 people receiving injuries.

A Muslim resident of Deir Abu Fana was killed during Saturday's inter-communal clashes.

Two Coptic Christian workers at the monastery suffered bullet wounds and were admitted to hospital in a critical condition, while two monks suffered injuries.

Father Dumadius, who witnessed the attack, said that at least 60 men carrying weapons stormed the Abu Fana monastery on Saturday.

"They split into several groups. One group proceeded to destroy the wall. Others entered a chapel used by the monks and destroyed and burned property," he said.

Muslim residents of the area claim the agricultural land on which the monastery's wall is being built as theirs, and say it is damaging their crops.

The developments in Deir Abu Fana came against a backdrop of attacks against Christian jewellers over the past week that prompted one Coptic member of Egypt's parliament to claim on Thursday that police were not adequately protecting the community.

Armed men stormed a jewelry shop in Cairo on Wednesday and killed the Coptic Christian owner and three of his assistants, but did not steal anything.

The suspected assailant was arrested on Sunday, but another Coptic-owned jewelry store was targeted the same day, this time in the port city of Alexandria.

No one was killed, but about $28,000 worth of merchandise was stolen.

Police claim the incidents are entirely criminal in nature and not sectarian.

As a result of a thousand million years of evolution, the universe is becoming conscious of itself, able to understand something of its past history and its possible future.-- Sir Julian Sorell Huxley FRS

I'll preface the following Al-Jazeera article (which is unfortunately the only detailed english article on the issue available online as of yet--the prejudices in the reporting are obvious) with the introduction of Robert Spencer from Dhimmi Watch:

The Al Jazeera article below has more detail and recent developments in the incident, but neglects to note, as an Agence France-Presse story does, that the monks had a permit to build the wall. Still, residents insisted it was illegal (perhaps in the spirit of the Pact of Umar, permits notwithstanding), and violence ensued.

....

Now for the article:

Please, any Arabic speaking Christians correct me if I am wrong, but by and large the coverage of Christians in al-Jaziirah is fairly good. Something not always expected from a Muslim dominated media. The difference is striking when you compare it with the Western media, who barely acknowledge Middle Eastern Christians.

Arise O Lord, and Judge the Earth, for they have plotted against Thee in vain.

Logged

Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.A hasty quarrel kindles fire,and urgent strife sheds blood.If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth

Please, any Arabic speaking Christians correct me if I am wrong, but by and large the coverage of Christians in al-Jaziirah is fairly good. Something not always expected from a Muslim dominated media. The difference is striking when you compare it with the Western media, who barely acknowledge Middle Eastern Christians.

Arise O Lord, and Judge the Earth, for they have plotted against Thee in vain.

[tangent]Oh please our Western media and our politics have it right on the money. For instance the former leader of One Nation Pauline Hanson was quoted that she worried about the immigration of Muslims but would allow some Muslims in and these are what she referred to as Christian Muslims.

“There are Christian Muslims - there is no problems about that,”

Obviously she doesn't have the slightest idea what she is talking about and is referring to Middle Eastern Christians, so thats a little tid bit to understand the ignorance in our Australian politics and although she used to be part of a minor party it worries me that people like her are even allowed to participate at all.[/tangent]

My dad once rode in a taxi driven by a Coptic whose family left Egypt because of the Muslim Brotherhood, and I know someone at my church who had family members in Egypt who were sadly martyred - again, by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Actions such as this truly saddens me, not only because of who the victims are but because of the ignorance displayed by the men committing the acts.

« Last Edit: June 04, 2008, 11:42:22 PM by Dismas84 »

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"It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies."-- Saint Nikolai Velimirovic